Washing-machine



S 'PS AENT OFFICE.

J. MCVICKER, OF MOUNT MORRIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,788, dated March 30, 1858.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MGVICKER, of Mount Morris, in the county of Greene and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l, represents a perspective view of said washing machine. Fig. 2, represents a longitudinal vertical section through the same. Fig. 3, represents a top View of a part of said machine.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the frame of the machine which supportsthe waste box B.

O, represents two levers which are pivoted to the frame at a, the short ends of these levers rest on the ground -and serve as feet for the machine to rest upon while the long arms pass through the slotted legs of the frame, wherein they are held by the pins b. When the machine is to be moved from one place to another the pins Z), are withdrawn and the weight of the machine will then bring the wheel D, on the ground and it can then be trundled at pleasure.

E, represents a plunger which consists of the ribs c, Z secured to the body of the plunger; the spaces between said ribs aii'ording a passage for the water during the operation of washing; this plunger rests o n the bottom of the wash box, and slides on said bottom during the operation.

F, represents two rods which extend from the plunger through the perforations G, o f the side of the box B, and the ends of which are secured to a cross head H.

I, represent two elastic pieces of wood which at their thick ends are secured to the cross head H, and the thin ends of which bear against the pins or projections g, of the rods F. The rebound of the springs against the side of the box B, when the plunger E, has reached the end of its stroke, starts said plunger on its backward motion and thus enables the cranks to pass their dead point and ease the plunger at the end of its stroke, while at the same time the spring prevents the rods F, from moving in the cross head H, as the pins s, hold the rods on one side of the cross head while the springs I, bearing against the pins g, hold them on the other side. The cross head H, is connected with the cranks K, by means of the pitman L. The cranks K, being secured to the shaft M, on which the wheel D, is keyed m, represents a number of bars or slats which extend across the box B, and the ends of which are secured to the said cleats 0, these slats serve to support the clothes which do not immediately undergo the operation of washing and the clothes when placed on said slats are exposed to the steam from the hot water in the box B, which penetrates them and thus prepares them for washing as it vdissolves the greater part of the dirt adhering to them, and thus saves time and labor in washing.

P, represents the lid of the box; this lid is hinged to the box by means of hinges p, and canbe turned on said hinges; g, are two slats of woodswhich are secured to the inner side of the lid, and to which the cross pieces r, are fastened. When the lid is closed the cross pieces r, stand in the position represented in F ig. 2, and thus serve to close up the space above the slats m, and form a receptacle which contains the clothes that are to be steamed preparatory to their being washed.

4 The operation of the machine is as follows: The lid P, is turned to the position shown in red in Fig. 2, and the clothes previously placed upon the pieces m, are put down on to the bottom of the box, while other clothes are again placed upon the slats m. The lid is then closed, and by giving a reciprocating motion to the cross head H, said cross head being guided by and running upon the handles R, the plunger E, has

a reciprocating motion imparted to it and operates upon the clothes in the box B, while the wheel D, serving then as a fly wheel and the springs I, operating in the manner described above facilitate the operation of working the cross head H. The water which is drawn out of the openings G, in operating the machine is retained on the inclined boardN, and prevented from spilling over by the ledge o, the excess running back into the box B, through the opening u.

Having thus fully described the nature of so that upon opening the lid of Wash boX, my invention, what I claim therein as new the receptacle also is opened for the intro le and desire to secure by Letters Patent is duction or removal of the clothes substan- Forming` a receptacle Within the Wash box tially as described. l 5 for containing the clothes to be steamed pre- JAMES MCVICKER.

paratory to their being Washed, by means of Witnesses:

the ribs or slats m, attached to the Wash boX, Gr. M. MCCORMACK,

and Jche ribs or slats a", attached to the lid P, H. P. BEECHER. 

